Cancer cases soar in Yorkshire

Yorkshire and the Humber cancer rates rise in the middle-aged cancer rates in middle-aged men and women in Yorkshire and The Humber* have increased dramatically, according to new figures released to highlight the launch of Cancer Research UK’s hard-hitting advertising campaign.

They are now higher than the national average for England, with around nine** women and around six men in their 40s and 50s diagnosed every day.

Across Great Britain, cancer rates for middle-aged men and women have gone up nearly 20 per cent over the last 30 years - an increase of 17,000 cases a year.

Back in 1979, almost 20,000 men were diagnosed every year but latest figures show that almost 24,000 are now diagnosed annually.

However, the biggest increase is in middle-aged women, where rates have risen by more than 25 per cent in the same time period.

The increasing number of people being diagnosed with cancer is, in part, due to the NHS breast screening programme and the PSA test for prostate cancer.

Screening will detect more cancers at an earlier stage and this means treatment is more likely to be successful. Lifestyle factors, such as drinking alcohol, smoking and being overweight, can also increase the risk of developing some types of cancer.

But despite the alarming increase in people getting cancer, there is good news. Survival rates have doubled since the 70s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.

As Cancer Research UK launches its new national TV advertising campaign – featuring real cancer survivors and their families – its message to people in Yorkshire is clear: more money is urgently needed to help save more lives.

Nicki Embleton, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for Yorkshire, said:

“There has been great progress in the treatment of cancer since the 1970s and many more people in the region are now surviving the disease.

"Thanks to the generosity of people in Yorkshire we are able to support the work of doctors, nurses and scientists who are dedicated to beating cancer by understanding its causes and investigating how best to prevent, diagnose and treat it.

“But we must redouble our efforts so that cancer survival becomes the norm for patients, irrespective of the type of cancer they have or their age at diagnosis. As the number of people diagnosed with the disease continues to rise and the economy tightens, we need the support of local people now more than ever.”